Shank stiffener



@CL 17, 1939. 1. P, QUlRK 2,176,684 l SHANK S T IFFENER Filed Jan. 15, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 ANIM Oct. 17, 1939.

J. P. QUIRK SHANK STIFF'ENER Filed Jan. l5, 1937 IIIII nun IIIIII 'l MWL@ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE SHANK STIFFENER Justin Pf. Quirk, St. Louis C'ounty, Mo., assignor to United Wood Heel Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application January 15, 1937, Serial No. 120,696

5 Claims.v (Cl. 36-76) ment having in connection therewith my im- This invention relates to shank stiffeners for use in shoes.

An object of the invention is to provide improved shank stiifeners for use in shoes, and more specifically for use in connection with shoe heels, and characterized by features of construction, and having in connection therewith an attachment or extension, arranged and designed to engage the shoe heels so that the shank stiifeners may be attached to shoe heels for permanent use by sliding movements of the shank stiifeners with respect to the shoe heel, or vice versa.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an improved shank stiffener for embodiment in a shoe and having a special construction and larrangement in connection with the rear end thereof` for sliding engagement with a shoe heel whereby the shank stiffener may be engaged with the heel of the shoe by movement in one way or another and thereby maintain positive engagement with the shoe heel and prevent relative movements of the stiffener and the heel, and prevent loosening of the shoe heel with respect to the shoe.

A further object is to provide a shank stiifener for shoes having a projection or extension in connection with the rear end thereof designed and adapted to seat in a preformed recess or cavity in a shoe heel and thereby hold the heel and the stiffener in rigid relationship so long as the heel is attached to the shoe, but which will permit easy detachment of the heel from the stiiener when the heel is disengaged or .detached from the shoe. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be aparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shank stiifener formed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shank stiffener.

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the shank stiifener.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a shoe heel having a cavity or recess to receive the extensions or projections on the rear end of the shank stiifener.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the shank stiffener engaged with the shoe heel and embodied in the sole of a shoe.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional viewvof the shank stiifener, etc. on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a vbottom plan view of an insole eleproved shank stiffener provided with a different form of extension or projection for sliding engagement with a shoe heel.

Fig. 8 is a lonigtudinal sectional view showing this type of shank stiffener engaged with the shoe heel and embodied in the sole of a shoe.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a form of shoe heel designed and adapted for engagement with the shank stiifener shown in Figs. 'l and 8 and having a cavity or recess to receive the extensions or projections on the rear end of the shank stiifener.

Fig. l is a cross-sectional view of this type of shank stiffener, etc. on the line ill-I0 of Fig. 8.

The shank stiffener illustrated in detail in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises an elongated curved body portion l which may be formed with a longitudinal depending bead 2 intermediate its sides and extending from near the front end of the stiffener rearwardly to a point adjacent to the breast wall of the heel for which the shank stiifener is intended. This construction may be varied as desired.

The rear end portion 3 of this shank stiffener has two slits 4 extending inwardly from its opposite sides in alinement with each other, and the side portions of the rear end of the shank stiffener are bent to form two downwardly diverging extensions or projections integrally connected with the substantially flat intermediate end portion 6 which separates the inner ends of the slits 4.

The Shoe heel for attachment to this shank stiifener may be of the form illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. As there shown, the heel body l has in its upper end a recess or cavity 8 extending from the front toward the rear of the heel and opening upwardly and at the front and having a rear end wall 9. The side walls lll of this cavity diverge or flare downwardly to the bottom wall thereof. If desired, the upper end of the heel may be formed with a shoulder ll the bottom wall of which curves downwardly in accordance with the downward curvature of the rear end of the outsole I2 of a shoe fory which the heel is intended. The bottom vwall of the recess or cavity 8 may be in continuation of the central portion of the wall ll in order to facilitate formation of these features. The wall of the shoulder Il does not intersect the sides of the heel, but terminates at the inner sides of the opposite end portions of the margin I3 of the upper end or seat of the heel.

When the shank stifl'ener is incorporated in a shoe between the outsole I2 and the insole I 4, the rear end of the outsole abuts against the front ends of the projections or extensions 5. The front end of the shank stiffener is at the break line of the shoe, but the dimensions of the shank stiffener may be varied as desired. The length of the projections or extensions 5 is aproximately the same as the length of the cavity or recess B, the depth of which is such that, when the lower edges of said projections or extensions seat upon the bottom wall of said cavity or recess, the upper surface of the intermediate portion 6 of the shank stiffener is flush with the upper end of the heel, so that the heelV portion of the insole will seat smoothly upon the heel and upon the part 6 of the shank stiffener. This implies that the width of the open upper portion of the cavity or recess 8, which may also be termed a groove is the same as the width of the part 6 of the shank stiffener, and that the sides of the parts 5 of the shank stiifener seatr closely against the aring walls I0 while the ends of the parts 5 abut against the rear wall 8.

When the parts are assembled in this manner and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the attachment of the heel to the shoe may be completed in any preferred manner, as by the use of nails or other known fastening devices or expedients. It is obvious that the interlocking engagement of the parts 5 with the walls I Il will prevent the heel from working loose and will effectively cooperate with the fastening devices attaching the heel to the shoe. The engagement of the heel with the shank stiifener is easily effected simply by sliding the heel onto the shank stiffener, or, expressed differently, by sliding the extensions 5 between the walls I0, after which the attachment of the heel to the shoe may be completed in any desired way.

When it is desired to detach the heel from the shoe, it is only necessary to remove the fasteners securing the heel to the shoe or to break the attachment of the heel to the shoe in some way, after which the heel may be slipped rearwardly and another heel of similar construction may be substituted in the manner above ex-V plained.

The shank'stiffener shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 10 comprises an elongated curved body I 5 of such a length that it will terminate approximately at the break line of the shoe for which it is intended and adapted to be secured between the outsole I6 and the insole I1 of the shoe. As specifically shown, a flexible shank member I8 of leather or other appropriate material is attached to the underside of the insole, the shank stiifener being confined between the insole and said shank member I8. The shank member I8 terminates approximately at the break line of the shoe, its forward end comprising a pair of spaced arms I9 between which the front end of the shank stiffener extends (Fig. 7).

The rear end portion of the shank stiffener has in rigid connection therewith a downward extension or projection 2i) adapted to slide into a preformed cavity or recess 2| in the upper end of the heel body 22. In attaching the heel to the shoe, the projection or extension 20 is slid into the cavity or recess 2I to the position shown in Fig. 8; and, in detaching the heel from the shoe, the projection or extension 20 slides out of said cavity or recess. Y

The flexible shank member I8 extends rearwardly almost to the end of the insole I 'I and is formed with a hole 23 through which the extension or projection 2U extends.

'I'his heel body 22 may also be provided at its upper end with a downwardly curved shoulder 24 to constitute a seat or support for the rear end of the outsole I6, the same as the shoulder II constitutes a seat or support for the rear end of the outsole I2. The wall of the shoulder 24 does not intersect the sides of the heel body 22, but terminates at the inner edges of the forward ends of the marginal portion 25 at the upper end of the heel.

After the shank stiifener has been assembled in the shoe in the manner now apparent, the heel may be attached to the shoe simply by sliding the extension or projection 20 into the cavity or recess 2I and then fastening the heel with the shoe by nails driven through the insole and into the heel body, or by use of other appropriate fastening means. When it is desired to remove the heel for any purpose or to replace an old heel with a new heel, the fastening attachments or devices are removed or broken and the old heel can then be slipped from engagement with the projection or extension 20 and a new heel attached to the shoe in the same way that the old heel had been attached thereto.

The invention may be varied otherwise within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle thereof as dened by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shank stiffener comprising an elongated strip of metal adapted to be located between the insole and the outsole of a shoe, a relatively narrow rear end portion integral with said strip of metal extending rearwardly therefrom and being substantially narrower than said strip, and a pair of relatively wide rigid downwardly diverging extensions integral with the sides of said narrow end portion and adapted to slide into a pre-formed cavity or recess in a shoe heel and to support said heel preparatory for attachment of the heel to the shoe and to slide freely out of said cavity or recess during detachment of the heel from the shoe, the side walls of said cavity or recess diverging complementarily toy and engaging said extensions.

2. A shank stiffener comprising an elongated metallic strip adapted to be located between the insole and the outsole of a shoe, and a pair of rigid substantially inflexible downwardly diverging extensions integral with the rear end portion of said strip and extending forwardly and rearwardly and having their forward ends adapted to abut against the rear end of the outsole and adapted to slide into and out of a preformedrecess or cavity in a shoe heel.

3. A shank stiffener comprising an elongated strip of metal adapted to be located between the insole and the outsole of a shoe and having a rear end portion rearwardly beyond the rear end of the outsole, and a pair of relatively wide rigid downwardly diverging extensions integral with the sides of said rear end portion of said strip and together with said rear end portion having a combined width greater than the width of said strip that is located between said insole and outsole.

4. A shank stiffener adapted to be located between the insole and the outsole of a shoe in which the outsole terminates near the front of the shoe heel; comprising an elongated strip of metal having an end portion extending rearwardly beyond the end of the outsole, and a pair of relatively wide rigid downwardly diverging extensions integral with the sides of said rear end po-rtion, and having their forward ends rearwardly beyond the end portions of the outsole of the shoe for which the stiffener is intended.

5. A shank stifener adapted. to be located between the insole and the outsole of a shoe in which the outsole terminates near the front end of the shoe heel; comprising an elongated strip of metal adapted to be located between the insole and the outsole of the shoe and having a rear end portion to extend rearwardly beyond the rear end of the outsolevand adapted to support the central part of the heel portion of the insole, and a pair of relatively wide rigid downwardly diverging extensions integral with said rear end portion of said strip and having their forward ends rearwardly beyond the end portion of the outsole of the shoe for which the stiffener is intended.

JU STIN P. QUIRK. 

